Group: 5
Genre: Romance
Location: A Tugboat
Object: A Map
Synopsis: Captain Shane Roberts’s last moments aboard the tugboat he captained for forty years have some bittersweet memories. Was it the love of the ocean or the love of another that kept him going for so long?
An Ocean of Memories
Captain Roberts pulled on the
upholstery of the tired leather chair. The cracks had turned into rips long
ago, and he had mentioned numerous times that a replacement was needed.
Nightfall on the open water was pure
magic. The moon glowed across the water, and there were tiny sparkles that sprinkled
the surface of the ocean. His vessel rose and fell with the gentle sway of the
tide.
His mind went back to his tenth
year as captain aboard this offshore tugboat - the year he met Mandy. Even now
he still remembered how she looked, smelled, and tasted.
“It’s
hard to tell where the sky ends and the water begins,” Captain Roberts heard.
He
turned and caught the smile on Mandy’s face.
Her
crew uniform hid her form well, but he remembered every curve.
He
smiled back at her and then set his gaze back onto the ocean.
“You
shouldn’t be up here,” the captain said.
“Ah,
Shane. What makes you think that would stop me?” Mandy jested.
Her
hand reached over the top of the chair and rustled his hair. Her touch was so
delicate, despite her strength. Shane grabbed her hand, and pulled her beside
him. There was hardly any space between the chair and the controls, but she
still managed to get in. Mandy bent over and kissed him on the cheek. As he
pulled away, he chastised her.
“There’s
nothing out there for miles, chief. A few minutes won’t hurt,” she said with a
smile.
Shane
slowed down the tugboat, and as the engines quieted slightly, he turned to kiss
her. The taste on her lips reminded him of the ocean, but somehow, her scent
did not – that was 100% Mandy.
Then
as quickly as she was there, she was gone.
Captain Roberts ripped out all of
the upholstery in the chair arm, letting the leather just hang along the sides
and exposing the metal underneath it. He heard the loud footsteps of his first
mate coming up the bridge ladder and turned the chair to meet him.
“Skip, what are you doing up here?”
Ronnie asked.
“Saying good-bye,” Shane answered.
“She’s been my home for 40 years.”
“Reminiscing, old man?” Ronnie
smiled.
“Old men don’t reminisce,” he
scowled.
“Right,” he said, unconvinced. “I’m
going home now… It… it was a pleasure working alongside you these 15 years,
skipper.”
“Yeah… You too,” Shane said. “You
were a good crew.”
They shook hands and said their
goodbyes.
Shane looked across the bridge; his
eyes catching sight of the map he had used for years. He smiled as he saw the
big red heart on it marking Mandy’s not-so-secret rendezvous point. Turning, he
left the bridge.
Mandy
was standing at the handrails, staring out into the ocean.
“Tell
me something, Shane,” she said. “If you had to choose between me and the ocean,
who would win?”
Shane
looked at her confused and concerned. Finally he stood up straight, and
answered the way a good captain should, “The Ocean.”
Mandy
smiled, “I knew that was the answer. I just wanted to see you squirm.”
She
giggled, and the world felt complete.
He wanted to tell her that she was
the love of his life, and that she would always come first. But he didn’t.
His goodbye walk took him down to
his quarters. The light within was still on.
Mandy’s
muscular body beckoned him in. Sweat and oil made her body shimmer in the dull
light. Her hair was down, and she lay on her side, her curves featuring
prominently.
He
locked his cabin door and turned off the light. He was overwhelmed by her
aroma. Somehow she always smelled like a mixture of lavender and vanilla,
despite the amount of sea time she had.
Their
passion consumed them. They did not have the luxury of foreplay on the boat,
and so their love was harsh and fast.
Tears rolled down Shane’s cheeks,
as he opened the drawer to his desk. Inside was a note that was tattered and
nearly illegible. He didn’t even need to read it anymore, having inadvertently
memorised the words years ago.
My
Dearest Shane,
I know this won’t reach you until you’re back
on your beloved tugboat. I want you to know that I regret absolutely nothing. I
know as well as you that you’re married to the ocean, and our marriage is
secondary to that. That’s why I risked myself so I could spend every day I
could with you. So when I’m gone, please stay married to your first love. Don’t
let the memory of me tarnish it.
Yours Forever,
Mandy
Mandy
had passed away years ago. Shane remembered screaming at the doctor that it
wasn’t possible. But her heart had not been strong. She had spent all those
years on the boat and never once complained of it, yet the doctor said she had
a known condition. That she had been warned of the threat to her life, but she
remained on the boat.
Shane was filled with regret. 40
years on this boat and for ten amazing years, he was married to Mandy. If she
had just told him, she may still be with him today for his last day as a
captain.
But now he was alone.
Shane left the boat, taking the
note with him. As he walked down the docks, he felt cold and pain. He stumbled
along the planks as he clutched at his chest.
At the furthest end of the dock, he
could see her. Mandy was in a long, white summer dress. Her hair was down,
flowing in the wind. She seemed so radiant that everything else around her was
dark.
Shane stretched his hand out to
reach her, and as the darkness consumed him, her light grew stronger. Taking his
hand, Mandy helped him up. They walked, hands entwined, along the docks.
“I love you more than the ocean,”
Shane finally admitted.
Mandy laughed, “I know, chief. I’ve
always known.”
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